Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Rewind 1 ❯ Crush the Bug ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: Nehti

DO NOT IGNORE! PLEASE READ BEFORE STARTING THE CHAPTER!!

Guys, I'm really sorry this chapter had to turn out like this! This chapter is a bit more angsty compared to the others, and Serenity and Ryou don't have big parts. This is mainly about Marik and Bakura...But it IS important to the plot. Ryou/Serenity moments still do exist, however. There will be this chapter focusing on Marik/Bakura and one more. After that, the mood will be lighter and you will get as much Ryou/Serenity action (a.k.a. smut) you like!!

`No' Yugi thought desperately, as the familiar pressure filled his brain. “No....” he whispered inaudibly.

Ryou and Marik turned to watch, aghast, as the locket tied around Yugi's neck started to glow brilliantly. Yugi shut his eyes forcefully and his hands rolled into fists. The boy's body floated upwards and the glow from his puzzle took the shine of superb white light.

“NO...” Yugi kept murmuring again and again, each time his voice becoming louder and deeper than the one before...

And finally, to the peak of all tension, Yugi's eyes fluttered open to reveal two hardened jewels dyed in funeral purple -not soft ruby. His stern expression formed that of an all-powerful warrior.

He spoke again, but this time his voice sounded nothing like the kind, sweet Yugi. This time, his voice had dived into a deep baritone, enhanced ten times by some unearthly echo.

“IT CANNOT BE!” Yugi screamed.

Marik was nearly deafened by the earth-shaking tone. He saw everyone gasp and turn to Yugi swiftly, obviously surprised by his strange change of behavior. And then, the unbelievable took place...

Before Marik's very eyes spread a thick mist. It covered all of Yugi's body and the only thing that could be distinguished was the glowing pyramid. Marik's lavender eyes turned to glance around frantically, desperately trying to comprehend whether what he was seeing was real or not.

The blonde boy suddenly felt very alone and very helpless. Not only were the others not gawking at Yugi, but they were all talking about the strange noises echoing around the ship instead- thus completely ignoring the spiky-haired youth!!

A very uncanny feeling of deja vu attacked Marik. He had lived this before...he had felt as though he could see something that others couldn't, once more in his life. It had been the first time he saw ...Dark Bakura.

Now, for the second time, Marik was left alone to witness the birth of another `spirit'...No one else was watching...no one else could see...

But wait! There was someone! Someone was looking at Yugi! Ryou Bakura's gentle amber eyes were focused solely on the Game King's face...and Ryou looked thoroughly shocked.

Marik froze. Could Ryou see it? Could Ryou see the mist and the glowing locket? It would only be logical since Ryou could see Bakura and all...But what about this? Was it another spirit? Was Yugi's legend about the necklace true?

Marik and Ryou's eyes widened as they saw Yugi's altered and hardened face form a determined frown. The glow from the pyramid started to slowly fade away, leaving the mist to dissipate. Marik was sure by now, that everyone except himself and Ryou was oblivious about what was going on.

The blonde boy himself could even smell the humidity of the mist, and so he felt completely incredulous about the possibility that other people couldn't even see it.

Ryou felt his blood run cold. A frosty current hit him full-force. What the heck was that? Another spirit? So he wasn't alone...or was he just imagining things? Were there others like Bakura?

/Darkside! Can you see it? / Ryou frantically shouted.

-Of course I can! You think it is...-

/YES! Oh my God, it looks just like when you come out of the ring! /

-I'm taking over! - Bakura ordered with a tone that clearly stated he wouldn't take `no' for an answer.

/Wait! Don't come out yet! If Yugi's spirit were our enemy, then we wouldn't want you to meet him right away, right? / Ryou asked with a logical yet slightly panicked tone.

Bakura seemed to be considering his options -fine. - He finally decided -But I'll be watching...-

Ryou shook his head to break away from the conversation in his mind. He soon realized distractedly that all mist had cleared and Yugi was now standing motionlessly, scowling at the distance.

This new Yugi looked nothing like the `normal' one, which only enhanced Ryou and Marik's theories of it being a secret spirit like Bakura. Yugi's usually cheerful, carefree face now had a permanent frown on. Not only that, but the spiky haired boy's ruby eyes had sunk into a liquid purple. Yugi's gaze now seemed to carry immense determination and power. The boy even portrayed a sense of authority.

Ryou found himself captivated when the piercing despotic eyes turned to him. Yugi scowled profusely.

“Unforgivable...” Yugi started murmuring at Ryou and at himself at the same time “it is unforgivable!” he repeated while referring to the banging and crushing sounds heard from various corners of the ship.

Yugi suddenly turned to Marik and the blonde beauty felt that the Game King's eyes somehow shot out of their sockets and crushed him against the wall.

“They WILL pay!” Yugi stated simply, and the resolve almost blasted out of his eyes. For some reason, Ryou and Marik both felt that it wasn't just a simple statement.

This new `Yugi' would make it come true.

The situation, however, was highly unnerving. They were a group of ten, trapped in a ship sunken in darkness and possibly surrounded by hostile creatures that Kaiba had sent.

Something had obviously penetrated the ship and was now moving further inside. That would explain all the noises and thumps...the computer could have sent some kind of warning or verification, but all power was down and that included the computer mainframe.

Those Kaiba bastards had planned things well...first: cause a blackout and make sure the enemy is trapped, weak and helpless. Then: send killers in the enemy's territory and slaughter him alive. That sounded so much like Kaiba.

In general, Kaiba functioned with one main logic: if the fly is stuck on your shoe, crush it completely...but if the fly is buzzing around your head, first make sure to stick it on your shoe and THEN crush it completely. In this case, the fly was the group of friends and Kaiba's way of `sticking' the fly on his shoe meant making it helpless so he could crush it.

For a moment, everything was quiet. The bangs and crashes suddenly stopped and nobody dared to speak. All that could be heard in the green-lit room was the ragged breathing of the partners.

Marik blinked. What now? Why was Kaiba not attacking? Ryou's eyes darted around each and every corner of the room, trying to locate any kind of movement or danger.

Everyone was just frozen, even Dark Yugi. The Game King's powerful stare was fixed on the chamber door -as though waiting for something.

From behind Ryou, scared hazel eyes flickered with intensity. It was Serenity, whose frantic heartbeat was trying to rip through her body. She was focusing on the back of Ryou's head, trying to feel comforted but failing miserably.

Rika, Lena and Tea had the same expressions on their face, broken only by periodic gasps or whimpers. Serenity's eyes widened at the silence. It was worse than any kind of bangs or crashes. This was the deaf silence before a killer-storm.

Marik's eyes had narrowed down to suspicious slits, eyeing everything around ominously. He was the first to notice Serenity move.

Serenity suddenly felt like the whole world around her was spinning out of control. She tried to grasp on something, she really did, but Ryou seemed to be miles away and she just couldn't raise her hand to reach him. All thoughts abruptly ceased in her brain, as she dropped to the ground. The thud that her body hitting the ground produced broke the ghastly silence, but she just couldn't comprehend that right then.

“SERENITY!” she heard someone shout, but she didn't know whom they were or what they were talking about. Serenity? Was her name really Serenity?

She closed her tired eyes and leaned her head to the side, still feeling as though the darkness was producing million lights and spinning around her. She was dizzy...so dizzy.

Unbeknownst to the faint girl, Ryou was shaking her shoulders, desperately trying to receive some kind of response.

“”What's wrong with you? Serena!” he cried, followed closely by Marik. Everyone else ran to the fallen girl, shouting and trying to wake her up. Ryou pathetically assembled the girl's motionless form in his lap and kept shaking her.

“Serena...please...please come back,” he whispered slowly, as his innocent eyes filled with sudden tears. He couldn't help losing his only friend. Serena was the only thing he had to keep him going in this new world. He had sworn to protect her! He couldn't afford to lose her! He just couldn't! From the albino's right side, Marik was sporting an anxious expression as well...

Then, as quickly as the first one, the second hit came...

“A-AH!” Taichi yelled unexpectedly, making everyone turn to him and gape wordlessly. The tall boy's whole body was shaking and he felt his heart being literally pulled down. He had no time to realize that it was his body that had fallen to the floor, not his pounding heart.

“Ah! Help! Take it off! Take it off me!” he shouted desperately, as he distantly acknowledged people running up to him, a white-haired one with a sleeping girl in his arms.

“Taichi! What's wrong? Tell us!!” a deep bass ordered and Taichi saw something golden-blonde come into view.

But suddenly, a new hit of nausea assaulted the fallen boy, and all he could see and feel was the world crashing down on him and images breaking his head.

“World...spins...” he managed to choke out, and Marik's eyes widened. “Can't...move...” Taichi continued, and finally let his eyes close and take him to the abyss of the darkness.

Kenji fell to his knees next to his friend and started frantically shaking Taichi 's body. Everyone kept trying and fighting to get through to the unconscious ones, but the effort wasn't paying off.

“I...” Ryou started saying, but soon got a glazed look on his gentle eyes “I don't feel that well...” he murmured, but nothing was heard over the mayhem of shouts and screams.

Ryou felt Serenity become a very heavy cargo in his hands and he was tempted to drop her. If it wasn't for the persistent thought that he had to protect Serenity at all costs, he probably would have.

Ryou saw the lights and faces of people around him spin wildly around, and he blinked his eyes to keep from falling.

“RYOU!” was heard suddenly, as a blonde person ran to him. “Ryou! Shake it off! Not you too!”

Ryou felt his arm being grasped tightly and also acknowledged the fact that someone had taken care of removing Serenity's body from his fading grip.

“RYOU!” the person kept shaking him desperately, consequently making the world spin quicker and harsher around.

“Dizzy...” Ryou whispered lightly and was barely heard by Marik. Suddenly, with a rough tug on Ryou's shirt, the albino boy saw another face come into view.

“Move aside!” the new face seemed to order the blonde. Ryou was still dizzy and desperate, but could recognize the spiky purple things at the top of the new person's head as his hair.

Ryou felt the person cup his cheek with one hand and turn his face to look at him with the other. The albino's eyes couldn't even focus and kept spinning wildly around his sockets.

“Wait!” he heard someone exclaim. This time the voice was girlish “I know what it is! It's toxins!'

“What are you talking about?” Somebody asked loudly, making Ryou's head throb painfully.

“I'm a scientist, I should know!” the girl shot back in an equally loud tone.

“AH!” Ryou shouted and growled at the same time, feeling his knees buckle and his ankles go weak. Only the hands that were supporting him could keep him steady.

Marik was desperate. First Serenity, then Ryou? No. He just couldn't allow it. He watched Yugi tighten his grip on Ryou, as the angelic boy seemed too weak to even stand. Marik turned to Lena again.

“But how could toxins enter this place?' he simply asked, and everyone was quiet, obviously searching for an answer, which finally came from a most unlikely source.

“Wait!” Yugi's powerful voice shouted and Marik was violently shoved out of his thoughts. He decided he didn't really like this spirit within Yugi. He still remembered the way the new Yugi shoved him aside roughly in order to take hold of Ryou. If there was one thing that Marik hated more than being locked and trapped somewhere for a long time, it was people bossing him around. And that was exactly what Dark Yugi was trying to do.

“What?” Marik barked back finally, speaking in a very unusual aggravated tone. Maybe this whole `losing one's best friends' ordeal, had taken a greater effect on his mind than he thought possible.

“Is there a ventilation shaft in this chamber?” Yugi inquired somewhat rudely, but pointedly.

Marik's eyes widened and for the second time, he felt humiliated at being outsmarted. How couldn't he have thought of that? Of course! The air-vents! The toxins had come through the air!

Suddenly, cold sweat started to trickle from his forehead down his long neck. They were all in imminent danger! Marik turned around to watch everyone carefully, and was disgruntled to notice a small discomfort plastered on everyone's faces.

He soon noticed it himself. The air had become thick and crispy. 'Oh my God!' he thought as he turned to Yugi suddenly. The Game King's expression mirrored Marik's feelings.

“KENJI!” Marik nearly screamed, making the others jump at his sudden outburst. “Quick! Get the masks! They've polluted the air!!”

Kenji's eyes widened immediately and so did everyone's.

“HURRY!” Marik probed Kenji's stumbling form. The boy left Taichi' s side and moved spasmodically to a cupboard under some control panel. It felt like an eternity to everyone, as Kenji opened the cupboard with small, tired movements. He finally took out what looked like a sufficient number of oxygen masks.

Marik was worried that Kenji would collapse before he could hand them the masks. The boy seemed faint enough as it was. Fortunately, Kenji did make it, and when he finally reached the group of friends impatient and desperate faces encircled him. He stretched his hand, which was holding the masks, forward with great effort.

Sighs and gasps of relief were heard from the friends, as they all placed the masks over their noses. That had been a close call, they all thought.

Suddenly, a dead thud echoed around and everyone turned at Yugi's direction. Ryou's body had finally fallen lifelessly on the ground, since he hadn't managed to hold on.

Marik's eyes widened as he ran to his fallen friend. Yugi was standing there ominously, a mask now covering the lower part of his face.

“Cover his face with a mask.” Yugi advised hurriedly “He won't wake up immediately, but at least he won't be in anymore danger.”

Marik ignored the feeling of resentment that attacked him at hearing Yugi's lordly tone. He turned his attention back to Ryou's figure. The steady heaving of the boy's chest was comforting enough. Marik carefully pulled a mask around the silver-haired boy's face and let him lay down.

The blonde boy sighed somewhat sadly and turned his attention to the others. Health slowly seemed to come to everyone, as they now moved more freely and less tiredly.

Marik shot up from his crouching position and approached the unconscious bodies of Taichi and Serenity. Masks had been given to both of them, and Marik felt distantly relaxed. He took a look at Serenity's frozen porcelain face.

“Serena...” Marik murmured and remembered the unbelievable adventure that had commenced from the moment he had met this girl. He knew that she was still mad at him for not entrusting her with all his dark secrets...but he still considered her as one of the best friends he never had.

The lavender eyes converted to a liquid violet. “You just make sure to wake up, and I promise I'll tell you everything...” Marik murmured to Serenity again, this time more emotionally. From the side, Rishid' s ever-watchful eyes registered this new tone in Marik's voice. Although most people didn't notice what was going on with Marik, Rishid always watched and observed. It was the need of an unspoken past...Rishid felt the need to understand Marik; he felt the need to protect him.

Marik turned to the rest of the group who were talking to each other frantically, everyone trying to sort out the recent happenings. Tea had grasped Yugi's arm helplessly, and curiously, this new Yugi didn't seem to mind at all. Actually, he even eyed Tea with a somewhat possessive glance.

So both `Yugis' obviously had a crush on Tea...interesting.

Marik shook away the thoughts and quickly turned his gaze on Ryou's sleeping form. Why was he so worried, again? He couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Bakura in this case. Was he trapped in Ryou's sleeping body, or was he unconscious too?

But that blessed break from tension was doomed not to last for long. Marik knew that the air poisoning was part of Kaiba's plan to make them all helpless before he could crush them, but he still didn't know what other tricks Kaiba had up his sleeve,

Whatever it was, Marik wasn't prepared to hear this. The previous banging and crushing thuds resumed full-force and this time, they seemed closer to the room than they ever had.

“Yugi! I'm scared!!” Tea whimpered pathetically while hugging Yugi from the back.

“I'll protect you Tea!” Yugi gave the typical manly answer, at which Marik had the unexplainable urge to roll his eyes. This situation, however, called for absolute concentration and everyone had to strain their ears to identify all noises that echoed around.

“They're in the corridor! That was the corridor door!” Kenji whispered harshly, referring to the sound of doors hatching open that had just boomed around them.

“Shit...” Marik started saying. `'Girls, go hide!” he ordered with a final tone.

“What about you?” Rika asked desperately as Lena and Tea pulled at her sleeve in order to make her move.

Marik smirked in a way that blatantly underestimated his predicament. “If we go down...” he left that phrase trail on “...we go down fighting.” He finished. Rika didn't seem very comforted with that answer, but she was pulled by the other girls and had no choice but to hide with them.

Yugi sported his trademark determined gaze at Marik's last words while Rishid stayed silent and ominous. Kenji glanced frantically around, obviously seeking some way to escape the fight -but he really had no choice.

The next few minutes were absolutely silent, as though someone had thrown a bomb and everything was playing on slow motion. Nothing moved, and Marik could only focus on his own frantic breathing. He remembered the last time he'd fought. It was those ninjas he fought with Bakura...

Marik's lavender gaze briefly flew to Ryou's sleeping body. `Bakura...' Marik's eyebrows furrowed `I wish he were here.' He found himself thinking and was thoroughly surprised. He wanted Bakura to be there and fight? It must have been some unearthly force that motivated him to think like that...But then again, it always felt comforting to do something with Bakura -especially fight the bad guys...it felt good to see that raw, crazed passion that always inhabited Bakura's glare.

This silent trance broke once and for all when a sickening crash came from right outside the door.

“What was that?” Kenji asked a bit shakily and Marik honestly couldn't blame that frantic tone. If only Bakura were there...he wouldn't be half as anxious.

All four men watched the door intently as they expected some sort of bomb to explode and rip the metal surface open. But no such luck. Nothing happened -just silence. Whatever was lurking behind that door was making a terrible effort of trying to keep quiet.

“Look!” Kenji suddenly said as he pointed to the door. Marik heard Yugi's gasp and Rishid' s fast breathing. He turned his own eerie stare at the door and saw something marking a snail-like trail on the metal...a trail that emitted a soft orange glow. Marik understood at once: It was fire...they were trying to burn the door down by using laser, probably.

They all watched, helpless and aghast, as the orange-red trail continued around the door, threatening to bend the poor metal at any moment. The slow, silent torture felt like a nuclear bomb at Marik's ears, and the poor boy didn't really know what to think at this point.

The only things that ran through his head were scenes from his and Bakura's fight with the ninjas. That was all he could remember at this point. He watched a bit numbly, as the laser beam chopped through the door like a burning knife through butter.

The trepidation raised in everyone's chest as the final countdown began. The beam was now drawing to a closed circle and everyone knew this was the end. Soon, their whole futures would be ordained. Soon, their destinies would shine.

The trail continued the unspoken torture, and Marik's intensity was throbbing along with his heart...

Marik was too preoccupied to notice, and so was Yugi, but a secret glow adorned the sleeping white-haired boy's chest. Mythical mist surrounded the unconscious form.

Marik held his breath involuntarily as he saw the laser beam finally draw a circle on the door. It was over. Now the end was near....

Everyone stayed in frigid silence -even the hiding girls- awaiting the explosion.

The silence had been choking them for more than they could bear...

A sickening crash finally boomed around and the boys saw the metal doors get ripped animalistic ally down. Smoke and fire sparks came from the broken metal.

It was so sudden and so loud...No one noticed the bloodshot vampire eyes that fluttered open the moment the crash was heard.

Marik took a battle stance and waited for the smoke to clear and reveal the enemies behind the door...the blonde boy's thumping heartbeat was matched by a somewhat broken feeling of loneliness. `I wish I could fight beside Bakura...one more time.' He simply thought, as his sparkling lavender eyes lost their charming shine and fell into a melodramatic blue-purple. `I wish...' he started, but was suddenly interrupted from his musings.

“BRING IT ON!” somebody shouted from the left. Everyone gasped and turned to the newcomer with lightning speed, which only resulted in more gasps and shouts.

“Ryou!” Tea shouted.

“You're awake, man! Thank God!” Kenji yelled.

Everyone cheered and the possible monsters outside the door were suddenly pushed out of Marik's memory. All he could do was stand limply -very uncharacteristically- and stare.

Standing darkly and incredibly ominously was none other than Ryou Bakura. His posture seemed a bit taller than usual and his muscles appeared strangely tighter. The silver hair sparkled dangerously around his hidden face and it floated ethereally with dissipating smoke.

His nose and jaw were hidden by the oxygen mask, and Marik couldn't see his eyes clearly. All the blonde boy could feel and see was a surge of relief.

Ryou Bakura slowly raised his head and revealed his bloodshot eyes. They found their target and nearly pierced through Marik's skull in a challenging glare.

“I BET YOU CAN”T BEAT MY RECORD, MARIKU!” the albino boy yelled, his vampiric stare emitting more confidence and crazed desire than Marik had ever seen. Oh, it was Bakura all right... The blonde boy could vividly picture the sadistic grin that was probably plastered on Bakura's mouth, although the mask was hiding everything.

Suddenly, a loud bang was heard from the door and Marik distantly acknowledged the presence of danger. However, he just couldn't rip his gaze away from Bakura. He heard the other men yell and run, but he himself was transfixed. Bakura seemed to have the same problem, since his gaze stayed locked with Marik's.

Had Bakura heard his wish? Had Marik summoned Bakura for the second time? Marik felt so thrilled that he could hardly understand any other feeling than that of Bakura's blood-fetished glare. Marik thought about speaking but suddenly realized he didn't want to move his mouth. Only then did it dawn on him that his lips were stuck on a probably idiotic grin and couldn't even move. For the first time, Marik felt glad he was wearing that mask. After all, he didn't want Bakura seeing him act stupid, although he had the sneaking suspicion that Bakura was grinning also...

The lavender shine came back to Marik's eyes and he felt a surge of adrenaline flow through his veins. Now he was ready to fight. Bakura's passion had given him confidence.

Another crash was heard from behind Marik and this time the blonde was forced to come back to reality. He saw Bakura's eyes dart to somewhere on his back. Marik instantly spun around to see the problem but abruptly felt a sickening weight push him down from the back. He saw the floor coming closer to his face and instinctively reached out to prevent the fall.

But the person on top of him brought them tumbling to the floor.

“ARGH!” Marik involuntarily shouted as he was shoved against the metallic tiles. What was that thing that had attacked him? He could feel something warm cover his entire rear side and assumed it was the body that had brought them down on the first place.

Marik felt the person on top of him shift slightly and finally roll off. Marik shook off the uncomfortable state of feeling cold all of a sudden and rolled around to comprehend what happened.

He instantly sat up as the next occurrences came as a bit of a shock. Bakura was standing right in front of him, kicking what looked like a gigantic iron spider.

Marik gasped as he slowly started to understand...When he'd spun around, he had come face to face with the spider, so Bakura ran up to him and pushed him on the floor from the back...Wait a sec! Had Bakura protected him?

Marik intently watched the silver shine of Bakura's head as the tall boy dodged an attack from the robotic spider. Bakura wasted no time. Using an impressive kicking combo, he managed to make the spider backtrack. Then, he immediately charged and ran under the spider's body. It was all a bit too fast for the robot to comprehend, and Bakura had reached up and ripped the control cables out of its main body in no time. The spider started writhing and spinning around aimlessly, until the dying machine faded out, and the blasted thing collapsed a few feet away from Bakura.

“Damn...” Marik heard Bakura say as the white-haired god clenched and unclenched his fist “...no blood...” he finished, as a vein started to pop out of his throat in annoyance.

The next few moments felt like an eternity to Marik, who was still sitting on the floor behind Bakura. The albino demon turned around to face him, and the blonde boy almost fainted from the other's gaze.

Bakura's catastrophic anger had once again found a link to break loose. Pleasured lust and orgy was reflected in the boy's eyes and Marik could have sworn that he recognized a sense of unspoken ecstasy throb around Bakura's very existence. Bakura had this dark and bloody expression on, as though pleasured to the furthest extent.

Marik bet that if there had also been blood involved, Bakura would be even more `excited'...

The blonde boy couldn't help but gasp as those lust-driven eyes eyed him up and down. He felt his very essence throb in response and he simply settled on staring right back at Bakura in order not to do anything inappropriate.

Bakura took a step towards Marik like a hunter would advance on his prey. Marik fought the unexplainable urge to crouch backwards, and simply settled on wordlessly observing Bakura's antics.

The fulfillment in the white-haired demon's eyes had been quickly replaced by insatiable hunger. Obviously, he hadn't had enough destruction. All that pent up anger...so this is were it found release. Marik had always known and understood that, of course, but still...

Bakura stopped walking suddenly and unexpectedly stretched a hand towards Marik. “Don't get flattered now, pretty boy. You still can't beat my record...which is increasing by the second, mind you...”

Marik eyed the palm that was stretched towards him suspiciously. Was Bakura actually `lending a helping hand'? At seeing Bakura's impatient and somewhat hungry expression, Marik quickly grasped the hand and allowed himself to be pulled up.

“Ryou was unconscious...How did you come here?” Marik asked Bakura wearily. The spirit's passionate eyes gave a crazed look to Ryou Bakura's innocent face. A loud crash was heard in the distance and Marik finally realized that the fight wasn't over just yet.

“Kill now, talk later.” Bakura stated as he turned around to assault another metallic spider, which was advancing on Taichi' s sleeping form. Marik shook his head dismissively and ran beside Bakura. He started punching and kicking another spider together with Kenji -who seemed thoroughly relieved at fighting beside Marik. A few rolls and dodges and dives, and the spider had fallen to its death.

Marik looked around and spotted Rishid effectively using a pocket- knife to rip the cables of another robot. Yugi was standing alone, still fighting a spider, which seemed to have a mechanic leg chopped off.

Marik glanced around and studied the behavioral patterns of the spiders. It wasn't easy to see in the green torch-chip light, but he still recognized the KaibaCorp badges stuck on the back of the spiders' `heads'. He suddenly understood the reason why they had heard all those thuds and bangs before. Each time a spider moved, its huge legs banged the iron floor and its head kept flailing out of control in every direction.

Marik's eyes narrowed. What was this disgusting innovation? Some new KaibaCorp invention? Or some sort of sick experiment gone awry?

Obviously, there weren't many robots around and the small group of people seemed to be winning, a sense of relief filled Marik's chest suddenly, and he turned to check where Bakura was.

It didn't come as a real surprise when Bakura was seen bonking a spider's leg on the wall. Marik took a fleeting look of the hungry gaze Bakura had on his face, and felt his own adrenaline breakthrough.

He frantically searched around for someone or something that needed his help, but found no one. He was feeling a bit left out and didn't really know how that had happened.

“MARIK! BEHIND YOU!” Kenji suddenly yelled and Marik spun around to see an army of five spiders enter the chamber door. Ok, perhaps he had underestimated the situation. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small knife.

When he had flicked it open, he charged readily at the first spider that had come in the door. The blasted thing had enough time to move away and Marik was left to face the next robot. The spider raised a leg in lightning speed and hit Marik in the shin. He groaned and fell to the floor, only to roll around and come face to face with the first spider.

He dived immediately to the floor, before the machine could complete its attempt of crushing his scull with a flat leg.

Marik made an effort to slip under the spider's body, but the machine was just too quick. He was forced to dodge a series of attacks coming from three different robots, and hadn't managed to hurt a single one.

Sweat trickled down his back as he focused on his movements. In a fleeting moment, he saw a spider's leg close down on his ribs, so he spun around and dodged. He instantly turned around and pierced the leg with his knife. Electricity started flowing as the leg broke down, and Marik had to let go of his knife before he got electrocuted.

Well, at least the spider had lost one of its eight legs...but now Marik was weaponless, alone and surrounded by three. This didn't look good.

Another sequence of frantic dodging ensued and Marik was becoming a bit desperate. `Where is everyone when you need them?' he thought. And as if on queue, a blue glow flashed in front of Marik's eyes.

“Rishid!” Marik shouted with relief evident in his voice. Instantly, one of the spiders was ripped down by a tanned bald man's hand.

“Master, take this!” Rishid shouted and threw Marik something that glinted in the dim light. Marik understood it was a knife, and stretched his shirt so as to catch it without getting hurt. Unfortunately, there were still two spiders left, and Rishid had immobilized only one. The sly robot took the moment that Marik was trying to catch the knife in order to hurt him.

Marik saw the knife land safely on his shirt and grinned. The smile was wiped out of his face the moment he felt something pierce mercilessly through the side of his ribcage.

Lavender eyes constricted in bruised purple when the edge of a spider's claw ripped through his flesh. His beautiful face became a mask of terror and his mouth formed a mute scream, unseen behind the mask.

It all took a moment of slow motion for Marik to actually realize what was happening. Stale pain was breaking through his body and all he could see was red. The torture doubled as the machine cruelly pulled the knife out of his body, leaving a gruesome gash and a ripped black shirt.

Marik blinked slowly, his brain giving out to the unbelievable pain. He experienced the slightly tickling sensation of some liquid slipping down his side and into his trousers -distantly recognizing it as blood. He felt sticky all over and his throbbing heart made things even more suffocating.

“MASTER!” he heard someone scream and instantly knew it was Rishid. He turned around to see the man's wide eyes, his blue robes falling limply around him.

Marik thought everything around him was moving so slow... He turned around and saw the spider that had hurt him, preparing to finish him off with another hit. He glanced down and distantly noted he was still holding the knife Rishid had given him.

A slightly high grin crossed Marik's features, his breathing becoming ragged beneath the mask. He eyed the spider with his faded violet eyes and noticed that the sensitive control cables were exposed as the spider raised its legs to kill him.

With what could be considered his final strength, Marik forced the pain away from his mind as he lunged at the spider. He grasped the knife in a death-grip and plunged it forcefully in the control panel, instantly letting go of it so as not to get hit by the electricity.

“MASTER!” he heard Rishid call again and understood what the servant wanted to tell him. There was another robot. The third spider...

Marik gave another high smile. It was probably closing in on his back -that was why Rishid was shouting. Oh well, at least he had gotten his revenge...Various images started to flash before Marik's eyes...Serenity and Ryou smiling sweetly together, Yugi winning the tournament... Then there was the blood-eyed spirit, Bakura...the way he and Bakura had fought the ninjas...Rishid' s humble expression...

Another surge of pain brought Marik to his knees and he vaguely registered that he would die as though from a guillotine. The spider would most likely chop his head off...how ironic.

A sudden flash blinded his tired eyes. Silver-white streaks glowed in front of him and Marik couldn't really understand what was going on.

He just closed his purple-blue eyes and awaited death to come to him quietly. All sounds of crashing and breaking faded away and were replaced by solemn darkness as he leaned forward on that silvery surface that was stretched in front of his face, and embraced darkness gratefully.

Her beautiful hair flowed freely down -he always liked her hair. It was long and black and glowed blue in the light...he had never seen anything like it! He touched it eagerly, running his hands over it again and again, savoring the wonderful feeling of his hands running through the thick strands.

She was holding him in her arms -as always. He loved that too. He just loved it when she'd hug and cradle him in her embrace. His small, chubby fingers rolled around her ear and she laughed.

“Stop that, Marik! It tickles!” she said in that serious tropical voice he always loved to hear.

“Nee-san!! (sister!!)” He heard his own high-pitched voice say. It sounded quite babyish. “What does `tickles' mean?”

She chuckled some more and it sounded like bells clinging in his ears. “When something tickles you, it makes you laugh without reason.” She explained.

He chuckled and waved his head around, watching his own long yellow hair sparkle. He rejoiced at the bright shine. He tugged a bit on her ear and she smiled again.

“Ne, nee-san... (hey, sister)” he started again childishly. He blinked and thought for a moment, his little blonde eyebrows pulled together in thought. “You have big ears.”

She broke out in laughter again, although that last remark could be considered quite offending. Nevertheless, she kept laughing whole-heartedly -that's why he loved her. He just couldn't understand why she was guffawing at his very serious remark.

“Why are you laughing!? Don't make fun of me!” he shouted indignantly but she just kept laughing, her oceanic blue eyes glinting brightly at him.

When she finally stopped, she shook her head ethereally. “No reason.” She stated.

He felt a brilliant idea pop into his head “I know! It tickles you! That's why you laughed for no reason! Right? Nee-san?!”

She giggled again “Marik...” she murmured dismissively between giggles. She stretched a palm and ruffled the boy's pretty hair. He felt himself pout and try to shove her hand off, which only made her chuckle harder.

“Marik...”

He watched her gleeful eyes brightly and turned to watch his own small hands. His eyes widened in fascination as he saw his own palm grow. He saw the digits become long and he noticed small blue rivers of veins pop out from his palm.

He turned upwards to see her, but she was long gone. Only her laughter could be heard.

“Nee-san! Nee-san!” he shouted, but to no avail. She didn't show up...

“Marik...”

He looked at his palm again and this time he noticed something running over it. It was red...and it was sticky...blood.

“Marik...”

His eyes widened.

“NEE-SAN!” he cried desperately, but was immobilized as a crippling pain shot through his ribcage so suddenly that it made him fall to his knees.

“Marik...”

“MARIK!!!!”

Purple eyes shot open suddenly and immediately the image of pain crawled up to the boy's face.

“Ah...” his deep rich voice groaned pathetically “It...it hurts...”

“Marik!”

“Master!”

Marik couldn't' register what had happened exactly. The dream he was having was slowly fading away, only to be replaced by the burning sensation of vivid pain.

“W-What happened?” he croaked out pathetically.

“You got hit by one of those spiders!” a girl's voice answered and Marik recognized her as Tea. Then it all started coming back to him...the robotic spiders, Bakura, the knife, Rishid, the spider stabbing him...

Suddenly, the unbearable pain on his side started to make sense. His wide unseeing eyes narrowed to a normal level and he could finally make out images and faces.

Bent on top of him was the whole group of friends, except for Serenity and Taichi. He watched the girls look at him worriedly from above. Memories of the fight started to come back to him, and he fervently searched around for the other boys.

“Kenji! Yugi! Rishid!” he shouted, but when he saw them standing there, he felt relieved. He noticed unpleasantly that Yugi was still the determined warrior and not the normal kind boy. Rishid was sitting on his left side and Kenji was looking at him from next to Lena.

Suddenly, he felt bony hands push him down from his sitting position to a lying one. When he settled down and looked up, he was greeted by what could be considered a most breathtaking sight.

Whine-red eyes shot accusingly into his hurt blue-purple ones. Marik registered that all masks had now been removed and he was exposed to the full force of Bakura's mean expression.

The demon's pink-white lips that were usually forming a cruel smirk were now pursed into a furious line. Bakura's nostrils were clearly flapping every time he breathed -indicating he was VERY angry indeed- and his cheekbones had curiously reduced to an even paler shade of pink than normal. As for his eyes, they were cursing Marik to oblivion with a passion like no other. Marik thought he saw a shadow of something else in those eyes, but couldn't really identify it as hate or fury...only anxiety.

Soon, the inevitable took place.

“What the hell were you thinking Mariku?!” the voice altered from fury asked.

Marik, now visibly weak and hurt, didn't really have the willpower to prevent himself from shrinking back. Why was Bakura so bothered, anyway?

“Why didn't you at least CALL? You could have died!” the spirit roared and no one really had the will to stop him -not even Rishid.

Marik chuckled a bit brokenly and coughed up blood in an attempt to speak. His once lean long throat had been covered in dried up blood.

“I thought you would have liked that.” Marik dared to answer.

Obviously, it was a bad choice, since Bakura's demonic eyes widened in absolute ire. The raw fury that the boy emitted was so strong it could bend anything that stepped in its path.

Marik searched back in his memory and thought about the last thing that happened before he fainted. There was Rishid running to kill the last spider...and then there was that soft white surface that Marik had fallen asleep on. Oh-oh.

Slowly and very involuntarily, Marik's eyes glanced to look at Bakura's hair. Oh. So that was the soft silver-white thing...

“YOU IDIOT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA!?” Bakura positively barked upon Marik's form. Bakura was feeling his whole essence melt with the release of his anger. The moment he had seen Marik drop to the ground, he'd felt the world crash down on him. No. He wouldn't let the only person who could see him apart from Ryou die.

“What the hell do you know...you're just Marik, after all...” Bakura finally muttered, his now desperate eyes closing down to shut tightly. He shook his head dejectedly and stood up to walk away.

Marik felt guilty. He felt selfish and stupid. He never knew he could cause the spirit such anger. Bakura had enough pain and anger inside -he didn't need more. But how was he supposed to know a spider would stab him anyway?

He watched Bakura walk away somewhat darkly and he saw everyone sport a confused expression at `Ryou's' furious face.

“Bakura!” Marik croaked when he realized that the spirit was leaving him “Wait!” he made a move to sit up but a pang of hurt abruptly shot through his spine. Unable to contain it any longer, Marik screamed reflexively and dropped to a lying position. Before he could even drop to the ground, he found strong arms encircling his torso.

“Master...” Rishid silently whispered as he took hold of his long blue cloak and used it to wipe the sweat out of Marik's face.

“Rishid...I-I'm sorry...” Marik whispered pathetically and tiredly blinked his sedated eyes.

“Don't speak, Master, keep your strength...” Rishid murmured as he patted Marik's forehead.

Meanwhile, Bakura had turned around instantly and ran to the blonde boy's side. He replayed Marik's screaming face in his mind and found nothing exciting about it -only pitiful. All he could do was bend back down to his previous position above Marik and look at the boy's torture-twisted face.

Bakura gasped. He had seen this before...at that time he secretly saw Marik's tattoo, he saw a similar situation. Only at that time, Marik didn't scream so desperately, and he didn't loose so much blood.

But it was still the same expression, and Bakura fought down the very peculiar sense of terror and fright that penetrated his supposedly non-existing heart.

“Bakura...” Marik murmured nearly inaudibly but the albino managed to hear it. When Rishid saw the demon bend above Marik, he backed away and stood protectively a few meters away.

Bakura bent down and took hold of Marik's face with both hands. “Marik, look at me!” Bakura ordered a bit fervently, for once not worrying whether his concern would show or not.

Marik opened his eyes with great effort, but his head kept falling back and was steadied only by Bakura's hands.

“Look at me!” the spirit ordered once again, and inflicted more pressure on the boy's face. Marik finally steadied his gaze on Bakura's anxious one.

Ironic, thought Marik. The one person whose attention he always failed to attract chose now to care for him, of all times. Oh, how he'd craved to impress Bakura, and make him acknowledge what a great leader he could be...and now, all he could show was weakness...and he hated it. He distantly noted Bakura was keeping a tight hold of his head and he realized how hot Bakura's digits felt on his skin.

“C-Cold...” Marik whimpered pathetically, hating his own stuttering voice for making him look like a weakling in front of hard-cored Bakura. But curiously, the albino didn't seem to mind. Instead, he squeezed Marik's head a bit, receiving a small groan from the fallen beauty.

“He's lost too much blood!” Lena frantically commented.

“Hold on! Marik!” Tea yelled anxiously.

Bakura's bloodshot gaze was frantically searching around, not knowing what to do to help the one person who could help HIM. “Marik...” he started urgently, making a ghost of a smile appear on Marik's face. Of all the people who had given him their attention in his life, none of it felt as good as this.

“Where does it hurt?” Bakura inquired swiftly. It was obvious that he didn't know how to be soft and gentle...it must have been a great effort.

Marik had to think where the great pain was coming from, since he felt like his whole body was in pain. He wanted to open his eyes and tell Bakura how glad he was that he had somebody to care for him, but all he could do was cough pathetically.

“R-Right side...” he managed to croak out. Bakura nodded mutely and softly let go of Marik's face, letting it sink gently to the floor.

“Our right or your right?” Kenji made the most idiotic question one could think of at a time like this -which was oddly significant. Bakura spun around and pinned Kenji on the wall with a death-glare, effectively silencing him.

Marik vaguely registered the fact that hot bony fingers where running over his shirt-covered torso and groping around for his wound. Bakura's hands eventually did find the target, and when the spirit softly ran his digits over the wound, Marik hissed.

Bakura's eyes widened at the blonde's hurt expression. He tried to suppress the sense of fear that had covered his insides. He removed his fingers from the sticky area and looked at his hand. It was covered in thick red liquid- Marik's blood.

Normally, Bakura would have licked it off with sadistic pleasure, but right now he didn't feel like taking pleasure from Marik's pain. Actually, he generally didn't feel like taking ecstasy out of other peoples' pain right now...what was wrong with him?

“Oh God! Turn him around!” Lena urged. Bakura did just that and received tortured little gasps from Marik as he handled the beaten body with care.

“Just how big is it?” Yugi asked and Bakura had to fight the urge to punch everyone and make them shut up. Couldn't they see Marik needed help rather than talk? Mortals these days...

Bakura's heart started to thump decidedly faster at the prospect of seeing the wound. Marik felt bony fingers run over the skin of his belly and to the side of his ribs, and he gasped at the burning sensation.

Inevitably, Bakura found what he was looking for and his red eyes widened as he touched it. Marik felt his skin be exposed to the burning cold when Bakura rolled the shirt up enough to reveal the ugly gash, and the blonde started to thrash around pathetically.

Rishid held the boy down by his shoulders as Bakura tried to unglue the shirt from the sticky wound. When the shirt made a ripping disgusting sound, Marik flailed his head around miserably and cried.

“Take the god damn shirt off, Ryou!” Yugi shouted at Bakura, who had to refrain from eviscerating the boy then and there, so he nodded instead. He made a move to take hold of the shirt and tear it off but was stopped by Marik's cry.

“NO!” he shouted and finally escaped Rishid' s grasp. He was obviously in pain, but ignored it for the sake of whatever it was he wanted. Bakura gaped at him, openly confused.

“No...” Marik muttered this time “Not the shirt!” he pleaded “Anything but the shirt”

Bakura's eyes widened and the demonic red started to swirl in fiery circles inside them. “What are you talking about, you idiot? This is no time to be shy!!”

Marik shook his head frantically and tried to ignore his pain. He squirmed a bit, trying to move out of Bakura's grasp on his clothes, but failed miserably seeing as the albino was healthier and stronger.

“It's not that! Just don't take my shirt off!” Marik urgently shouted, now giving up on his efforts to escape Bakura and simply trying to convince the albino. “Please...anything but that...” All sly and seductive charms were lost, as Marik appeared to be utterly desperate and openly begging. Bakura didn't really know how to react, so he escaped on his usual method: fury.

“WHAT ON EARTH IS WRONG WITH YOU?” the albino resembled a lion in a cage, and his anger threw Marik's crumbling spirit to the ground “YOU NEED HELP, DO YOU UNDERSTAND???!!! YOU'RE GONNA DIE, YOU FREAKIN' IDIOT!!”

The knuckles of Bakura's hands had become white from his force and Marik could only allow himself to be handled like a ragged doll -shaken and thrown around to the furthest extent.

The blonde boy watched Bakura's frantic bloody eyes constrict in blind anxiety, which effectively pummeled his anger. Marik himself had become hyperventilated. He flailed arms and limbs around, trying to make himself clear.

Bakura ignored him and steadied his shaking form. The moment he started lifting up Marik's shirt, the fallen boy raised his tanned arms and shoved the albino off with surprising force. Bakura stumbled away, clearly surprised and with an expression that promised pain and suffering to anything that got in his way. Smartly concealed rejection was drawn all over the demon's face, as he watched Marik writhe frantically on the floor. What on Earth was his problem? He was only going to take his shirt off, not kill him, for goodness sake!

“NO.” Marik shouted “You can't take it off! You can't see! RISHIDO! Don't let him see it! Don't let him take it off! Don't let him see it! Rishido!!” Marik kept screaming and shouting, thus startling everyone around.

Rishid immediately stood up and ran to Marik's side, calming the boy and whispering soothing words in his ears. Marik already felt naked and exposed to everyone...it showed from the way he kept rubbing his hands and torso.

In the meantime, Bakura was standing, unmoving. His irises had long since narrowed completely and sunk into his orbs of blood. He was frozen and unbelieving as it suddenly dawned on him. Marik didn't want him to see...He didn't want him to see his back. He didn't want him to see the gory scar he had secretly stumbled upon the other day.

Fresh rejection killed Bakura's soul. Was he not trustworthy? Was he not...good? No, he wasn't. That had stopped a long time ago. It only made sense for Marik not to trust him. This sudden realization only made Bakura feel more crippled, more lonely and more angry than ever!

The spirit in Ryou's body watched Rishid turn to him with an accusing glare. He wanted to tell everyone he'd seen the scar. He wanted to tell Marik that he could trust him...but all that came out was frantic, anxious fury. It was probably the only feeling he could effectively express any more.

“FINE!” he shouted “YOU DON”T WANT TO TAKE THE FRIGGING SHIRT OFF? FINE!!” he advanced on Marik's form, which was protected by Rishid. Bakura promptly pushed Rishid away with unearthly force and stood over Marik.

With two swift movements, Bakura took hold of his own white cloak and pulled it over his head, revealing the clothes he was wearing inside. He took hold of his green army t-shirt and ferally tore off all the lower part.

Everyone watched in disbelief as the individual they once new as calm Ryou Bakura had now ripped his own shirt and was making long bands out of it.

He eventually reached out and took hold of Marik's body, shoving the boy down and settling on top of him. He started working fervently tying the new green bandages around Marik's bloody torso.

“What the heck are you doing?” Yugi asked with an air of authority.

“What does it look like I'm doing, you ignoramus!? I'm bandaging his wound!!” Bakura snapped back as he kept working on Marik's waist.

“What?” Rika asked in surprise “Look, Ryou, I don't know how things worked in the 21st century, but here, we don't use such techniques...”

She was interrupted suddenly, when she found herself being shoved against the wall by a completely irate Bakura. Her whole body became numb as it came in contact with his frigid one. His disgusting piercing eyes penetrated her entire skull and his mouth was so close to hers that his hot breath was forced down her throat.

“Listen here, girly. I don't know what you do here...but I know what we used to do...and I know it works. So shut your mouth or I'll make it shut, cappice?”

He waited momentarily for her reaction, only to find she was unable to give one. Her eyes were glazed in horror and her jaw was hanging open.

“Good.” He finished, the passionate anger in his gaze filling her senses. He left her hanging on the wall, her exhalation becoming ragged and forced.

Bakura turned back to look at Marik's body which had a puddle of blood gathered under it. The green bands had already been painted red from Marik's wound...Bakura glanced around at the suspicious expressions of the others.

“The cloths will slow his circulation around that area” he simply stated, trying to convey the message to what he considered dummies “Hopefully, it will help until we find proper medication.”

Kenji shook his head. “Serenity is a doctor...she could help him. But she's unconscious...”

“W-What happened while I was out?” Marik asked shakily, trying to avoid any kind of movement. He turned his gaze to look at Bakura, who now seemed thoroughly disheveled. The boy's white strands seemed dirty and positively greasy, while his pale face had smudges and sweat over it. His green shirt that had been ripped hung loosely on his body, revealing a good deal of creamy white skin. As for his black trousers...they looked torn and worn out at several places.

The albino turned to Marik and glared. “Don't try to speak. You'll only get worse. Oh, but of course you won't let us take your shirt off, will you??!!”

Marik felt a tad disappointed at being treated so harshly by the same person that helped him only a minute ago. It wasn't his fault that he had to hide it...If only Bakura knew the reason...

“Well, Marik, about your question...” Tea started, typically trying to brighten the mood “When that spider hit you and you managed to destroy it, Rishid took out the one remaining. Meanwhile, Ryou came and saved you. Then, when all the spiders were gone, we set you here and tried to wake you up...In the meantime, the electrical power came back and the computer informed us that the gas was gone from the air... Kaiba didn't do anything ever since. He probably thinks we are dead and left us here or something...” She concluded.

Marik tried to smile in comfort, but only managed a slow grin.

“Yeah! Ryou, I've never seen you look so worried before! Not even when Serenity and Taichi passed out!” Kenji remarked. The boy didn't know he was digging his own grave. Bakura promptly spit out the water he had been sipping and glared at Kenji.

“What?” Kenji asked, thus continuing his ignorance.

Meanwhile, Marik was contemplating the last words. Bakura had been worried? But he had cursed and shouted and roared...and yet the others said he was worried...but it was impossible! Bakura? Worry for HIM of all people?!?

The hurt boy's eyes were lazily falling to shut, but... a loud crashing sound suddenly shook him off. Everyone's attention snapped and they felt the ground start to shake.

“AHH!” Rika and Lena screamed as they fell to the hard metal floor. Yugi also fell, trying to cushion Tea's dropping body. Rishid tried to steady his balance but failed eventually.

Marik was feeling increasingly dizzy. The blood loss had been severe and now the shaking ground was not an improvement.

A sudden thud echoed from his left and he slowly turned his face to see none other than Bakura. Marik's lost purple eyes widened as he watched the albino's beautiful hair flow around his head. Bakura's face was turned the other way, and Marik could see he was struggling.

“What's going on??” Kenji yelled above all else.

“Isn't Kaiba gone!!? That's what the radars showed!!” Yugi questioned.

“AAAHHHHH!!!!!” Tea screamed as she rolled around on the floor, shaken away harshly by a thump on the ground.

“Shut up, you wench!!” Bakura managed to bark out above all else. Marik had to refrain from laughing which would lead to moving his lungs and hurting.

Bakura was also shaken and forced to roll on his other side. Marik, who was already beaten and hurt, didn't take the shaking ground too well.

“AARGHH!!” he screamed at being forced violently to his side. Marik cursed under his breath. Why did he always have to appear weak in front of Bakura- the only person he ever really wanted to prove himself to? Rishid obviously heard the cry of pain, and tried to crouch to his master, but the shaking ground would allow nothing of the sort.

Marik was thrown from one side to the other repeatedly. The hurt was so intense that his eyes started to become glossy from tears, in spite of his own will.

Suddenly, he felt someone take hold of his arm and grab onto it for dear life. A thin, lean and soft body cushioned his next fall.

“Bakura...” he started saying, as another thump on the ground send them both to hit the nearby wall. The albino hit the wall with his back, and was crushed for a second time when Marik's limp body came tumbling on his from the front.

Bakura let out an `oof' as his breath left his lungs. Marik pathetically tried to lift his body away, only to discover he had no strength left.

“Bakura...Why do you...?” he started.

“Shut the hell up, pretty boy! I'm only doing it coz you're the only one who can control that loony CEO!!”

Marik found a smile gracing his lips, but unfortunately, it didn't last too long. He watched Serenity and Taichi' s lifeless bodies fly from one side of the floor to the other and idly wondered if Ryou and originally sweet Yugi were having the same luck in their sleeping minds.

Suddenly, as fast as the chaos had come, it stopped. The banging stopped and the shaking ceased, only to be replaced by dead silence. Marik couldn't really feel the newborn tension, since he could only focus on his pain.

Bakura and the others, however, could clearly experience the freezing atmosphere and impending silence.

A voice broke out from somewhere, and Marik distantly realized it was coming from the spaceship speakers...That hardened voice...he'd heard it before...It could only be...Kaiba!

“Dear, dear idiot friends...” a very cold, very mean baritone was heard from the speakers. Bakura smirked. What a pathetic try to sound like a villain! Everyone in the ship, however, thought differently, as Kaiba's positively merciless voice continued.

“So glad you could join us...did you like my little pets? They're just starting to evolve...”

Everyone shuddered at that. Starting to evolve? What was that? Was Kaiba growing an entire race of insect- killer machines??!

“Well, I DID hope you'd just let them kill you and let this sad ordeal finish nice and easy, but no...you just had to have it the hard way...Am I right, Marik?”

Marik raised his head with all his remaining strength and strained his ears to hear better. Bakura's arms were currently holding him from around the shoulders, trying to steady him without touching the wound.

“Or did my little insect leave too much of a scar on you?? Of course I can see you found comfort in the arms of something very much like yourself...a guinea pig!!”

Bakura growled and Marik fought the urge to shout. He wasn't in the mood for Kaiba's sick sarcasm right now. He might have been, if he was healthy and strong, but for now he just wanted quiet. But wait a minute...how did Kaiba know Marik was in Bakura's `arms', anyway? Could he possibly..?

“I can SEEEEE you, Marik...hahaha...” a cruel chuckle sent shivers down everyone's spine. “You see, I took the time that your electric blacked out, to hijack your system...and make it follow my orders, naturally...”

“What the hell do you want, Kaiba?” Marik hoarsely croaked out, but was immediately silenced as a stabbing pain shot into his ribcage. He felt his knees buckle at once and he fell forward on Bakura, who caught him tightly.

“Haha...” Kaiba evilly laughed “Well, if it isn't the great Marik Ishtar.... Let us all admire you now, beauty queen!”

Marik gulped down blood and realized he had no energy for Kaiba's games. Let him say what he wants...

“Well, you always WERE a little slut, Ishtar...I'm actually surprised you don't dress like a bitch anymore...or did you lose the male-model pageant?”

Marik growled deep in his throat. If only he had the power to speak...

“You probably noticed the slight shaking of your ship.” Kaiba commented dryly and Bakura really felt like punching something. `Slight shaking' ? `SLIGHT shaking??'

“Well, it's all part of the process” Kaiba continued, his voice deepening in sadism “You've probably not even noticed that my MEGA-KC cargo ship has attached itself on your pathetic pod as we speak...With your little leader broken like that, how could a bunch of imbeciles like yourselves understand it?'

Everyone looked at each other with horrified expressions and Marik looked up at Bakura's face, which was a mask of hidden feeling.

“Our cargo ship will haul you to our Base in the Kleria Galaxy...Oh! And don't even try taking control of your ship. I'm in charge of everything from here. Any little stunt, and I blow you all up. Actually, you should all be flattered that I didn't do that right away...I'm giving you a compliment by actually letting you waste my precious time instead of killing you and getting it over with...”

` Oh yes...' Marik thought `this is definitely it...Now he's made the fly stick under his shoe...he'll crush it soon enough...'

“Oh! I almost forgot...hahaha” a cruel chuckle came after that. “Since I don't trust you, or your fearless leader at that, I decided I'd give you a little time to...'chill out' I'm sure it will shake your unconscious friends off their beauty sleep...It will be a refreshing change...don't you think, Ishtar?” the voice ironically inquired.

“You...bastard” Marik groaned through pained gasps. The blonde boy understood what that heartless sadist was saying. He had set the air conditioning to the coldest possible. So that's why it was mysteriously chilly...now, if Kaiba didn't murder them when they reached the Base, they would freeze to death before they even reached the base.

“Well, that's all for now...Don't worry...we'll see each other soon. Oh, and Marik! I just love that new bloody look...”

With those last words, the voice faded to oblivion and left the company of ten in complete silence.

All they could do was stare at each other. The whole pressure fell on the handsome blonde's shoulders and he felt his whole body fall down. He somehow acknowledged that he actually fell on Bakura's body with a soft `poof'. The others seemed to relax as well, since Tea dropped in Yugi's embrace and stayed there motionlessly. As for the girls, they just fell to unusual silence.

The all stayed there wordlessly for a few minutes, noticing the increasing frostiness of the air.

“We're going to die.” Was the remark that had interrupted everyone's thoughts. It was Rika who had commented, and not even her fear of Bakura could stop her from saying it. “He's going to kill us.” She dryly continued.

“Not if we kill him first.” Bakura stated blankly. At this Marik couldn't help but smirk. Kill him first? That sounded so much like Bakura. Even at the most crazed situations, he found the solution of pain.

“We could just escape, you know...Being the good guys doesn't include manslaughter...” Marik commented distantly, as he fought to keep his eyes open. It wouldn't serve for him to fall asleep with a wound of that size. Bakura smirked as a response.

“I vote kill him and get it over with.” He answered. Everyone was a bit shocked at hearing `Ryou' utter such words. Wasn't Ryou the calm and placating one? Where had all that inner peace gone?

“We're not gonna die.” A powerful voice was heard and everyone turned to Yugi. Marik clearly recognized the look of a man who believed he could defeat everything and everyone. It really was the spirit of a warrior, as the legend of the necklace said. “All we have to do is believe in what we have.” He concluded.

“What's that?” Kenji asked with a tone that said he wasn't really interested.

“Our friends.” Yugi concluded. Bakura rolled his eyes and Marik grinned. He was right. Yugi did have the belief that what was played in virtual games was real. In Yugi's world, he could defeat everything and everyone...'our friends' was just the proof that he hadn't been living in the real world -not really.

Not everyone has friends. Not really. Until recently, Marik himself didn't have any real friends except Rishid. What Yugi actually meant by saying `believe in your friends' was `defeat the enemy by using teamwork'...Well that was practical, and it taught you an important lesson: learn to rely on other people. Most people in here already knew what that meant, or else they wouldn't have reached this far...

It was just a bit confusing to hear Yugi talk like that. What he meant to say was right and just, but he didn't say it the right way. He should have said : rely on each other, and we'll bring Kaiba down together. But he chose to select words used in novels and he said: believe in your friends and you will defeat the enemy with your friendship.

Marik shook his head dismissively. All this rant was giving his throbbing brain a headache. He noted suddenly that the air had become extra cold. The wound on his side was becoming colder by the second, and he could feel the hot blood freeze on his body. This wouldn't help one bit...

His teeth clattered involuntarily, and he received a strange glance from Bakura.

“Are you okay?” he asked with his usual petrifying gaze.

Marik nodded shakily, not trusting his voice enough to speak. He didn't want to look like a wimp in front of blood-loving Bakura, so he settled on not whining about the cold. Bakura obviously didn't buy the answer and pretended to resume his attention on the ongoing conversation. Marik sighed a bit miserably and looked away, oblivious of Bakura's distracted glance on his face.

Suddenly, a soft moan was heard from the sleeping peoples' direction. Rika and Lena hoarsely turned to greet the sight of a waking Serenity.

“Serena!!” Rika yelled and jumped on the now half-sleeping girl.

Serenity's hazel eyes opened lazily and she yawned. She rubbed her head slowly, idly wondering where all these bruises had come from and why her body hurt like hell. Distantly, she noticed the atmosphere was much too cold and snuggled up to Rika for warmth.

“What happened?” Serenity asked slowly.

“Oh, nothing...we were only attacked by these giant spiders, Marik got stabbed and Kaiba is dragging us to his galactic base...oh!” she whispered the last part “...and Ryou's been acting freaky all day long! I don't know what's wrong with him, but he keeps cursing and stuff.”

That was way too much information for poor Serenity who could only stare at her friend in surprise.

“WHAT?” she finally asked a little too loudly.

“Look for yourself.” Rika motioned around the now crushed bridge. Serenity gasped at what she saw and covered her mouth with her hands.

The room was utterly trashed. The door had been brought down and the walls had been smashed so badly that Serenity wondered how come they didn't end up in outer space.

As for the people...Taichi was lying next to her, seemingly unconscious. Rika was beside her and Lena was sitting on the floor a few feet further. Tea and Yugi had cuddled up to each other and were curled up on balls on the floor. Then there was Kenji, who was trying to warm his hands with his breath. Rishid was nearby, and he had his knees pulled to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs.

And then...

“Marik!” Serenity cried.

There were her two best friends -one of them being her secret crush. Ryou Bakura was sitting on the floor and leaning on the wall with his back. His whole body seemed tattered and bruised, while his clothing was ripped and torn at various spots. Sprawled morbidly on his lap was none other than the exotic boy, Marik, who seemed very out of place in this frozen climate. His usually sparkling eyes had decreased to a pathetic blue in the soft lights and his blonde hair was covered with dirt and grease so thick that one couldn't recognize the golden shine any more...And then, Marik's usually healthy tanned complexion had decreased to a gothic pale, much too morbid for the tropical boy. His black clothes had been pulled and torn, while several cloths were wrapped tightly around his waist. And wait a minute...was that blood?

“S-Serena?” Marik's pathetic try to speak came out. The girl's heart almost broke apart. What had once been the rich bass now echoed as a disbelieving whisper. What vile man would hurt such a creature? Who would have the heart to do it?

“Marik!” Serenity stood up instantly, bruises and tiredness forgotten, and ran to her lying friends. When she reached Marik, she grasped his blood- stained palm gingerly and smiled tentatively.

“I'm so glad you're okay...” said Marik, with the air of a man who is about to die soon and wants to tell everyone he loves how much he cares about them. “I-I'm sorry...”

“Marik...what happened to you?” Serenity asked gingerly. “Ryou, what's wrong with him?” she raised her head, expecting to meet Ryou's usual kind mahogany orbs. She had to bite back a scream when she met a couple of inhumane red albino eyes. Oh no...it was the spirit again...what was he doing with Marik? Had he done this to him?

Fortunately for the girl, Bakura loved his Brightside way too much so as not to offend the girl he loved. He decided he would make a remote attempt of being nice to her.

Serenity watched, aghast, as the red eyes deepened and became oval and deep brown. The boy's gravity-defying hair slowly calmed down into normal soft streaks and his rippling muscles loosened to a leaner and somewhat thinner look. Before her very eyes, Dark Ryou's posture changed from demonic to angelic. For a moment, she was fooled into believing it really was Ryou. But then again, nobody knew Ryou's eyes as well as she did...and it was still Bakura. He was simply using Ryou's face.

“He got hurt by one of the robot spiders Kaiba sent after us...” he talked in Ryou's silky voice. Serenity really wanted to tell him to stop pretending, but restrained herself nonetheless. “That thing stabbed him at the side when he wasn't looking.” He pointed to Marik's wound and Serenity gasped at seeing it.

“Is it true?” she asked Marik, who nodded wearily. He had been much too preoccupied at admiring Bakura's nearly flawless imitation of Ryou.

“Then why didn't you wake me?” Serenity asked everyone in general, in a very exasperated tone.

“It's a long story, but now that you're here...perhaps you'd like to take a look at his wounds, doctor.” Rika said.

Serenity nodded wildly. “Get me the supplies from the hangar, someone! This shack still has supplies, right?”

Rika shrugged. “I'm not really sure, but I'll go check, anyway.” With those last words, Rika ran out the shredded door and to the hangar.

Meanwhile, Rishid and `Ryou' were carrying Marik to a nearby counter, while Kenji attempted to wake his friend Taichi. He would freeze in the cold if he didn't awaken soon.

“My God, Marik! The blood nearly froze! Why is it so cold in here anyway?” Serenity commented wildly, trying to ignore Bakura's imposing stares.

“Long story.” Lena said. “But don't worry, you have plenty of time to find out about everything...just focus on Marik, for now.”

“Yeah!” Tea suddenly said from Yugi's embrace. “Just don't take his shirt off or he'll start screaming again.”

“Huh?” Serenity asked with a puzzled look.

Bakura huffed, still feeling indignant about Marik not trusting him with that secret, although he already knew what it was “Marik doesn't want to take off his shirt.” He replied with just the right amount of sweetness in his voice to pass as Ryou “Please try to respect that wish, Serena.”

`Don't use that nickname, you...' Serenity couldn't help but think. Then again, she really couldn't blame him. It was the smartest way to supposedly `fool' her -by using a pet name that Ryou himself had chosen for her. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow at his comment about Marik. She turned to the hurt, lying boy.

“Marik?” she obviously asked for his approval. She couldn't really trust Bakura, anyway...

Marik tiredly nodded “Please don't... ” he simply voiced, and Serenity nodded in understanding. More secrets, more problems...she sighed. Well, it would have to wait for later.

Just then, Rika showed up with the proper 25th century medication and medical equipment. She was thrilled to see Taichi had also woken up after a great amount of shaking from Kenji.

Just then, Yugi turned to Tea.

“I think it's time to go now...you know what I mean...” he murmured.

Tea nodded lightly, her cobalt eyes shining. “Thanks...for everything...” she said.

Yugi smiled “I did it for my Partner...it was his ship that was being trashed...” he said and Tea shook her head in understanding. “You must be careful with Kaiba...my Partner will surely make it, but I'll be watching just in case.” Yugi completed.

“Take care...” she whispered as the pyramid locket around Yugi's neck started to shine. Everyone turned and looked at it strangely, including Bakura, Serenity and Marik.

“What's happening?” Kenji asked and Tea smiled at him.

“The locket has a special torch chip enhanced...It glows every one hour. Am I right, Yugi?”

Yugi smiled with his huge, kind eyes widening in sweetness. “Absolutely.” He answered as he took his golden locket and looked at it whit a smile.

Nobody except Bakura and Marik had seen the thick mist cover Yugi's body. No one had seen his body change to a shorter, slimmer version and his eyes change from determined to sweet and kind.

“Okay, people. Let's get this over with!” Serenity's naturally melodic voice echoed in everyone's ears. She was, of course, referring to the cleansing of Marik's wound. The cold was beginning to get a little too itchy and they didn't have much time.

Bakura's actually tired expression turned to Marik “I guess that's my queue, Mariku.” He murmured so that no one could hear -not even Serena. For a moment, as he was looking into Marik's broken face, his eyes flashed from Ryou's deep mahogany to Bakura's bloody red.

Marik nodded silently, not registering the pain that crawled into his overly numb body with the doctor's every touch. “Thank you...” he voiced somewhat miserably, and was grateful to see Bakura's eyes flash red once more. That one moment, the red eyes had looked at him with such surprise...as though Bakura didn't know people could thank each other...as though he didn't know words could be used for other purposes than cursing...

Ryou's unperturbed expression smirked right back at him finally “Keep your pants on, pretty boi. I only did it coz you're the only one who may someday break my record...Wouldn't wanna dump such a rare competitor.”

Marik gave a pathetic attempt to laugh, only to receive shouts and reprimands from Serenity.

“I'm going...but I'll be back. Wouldn't want to miss all the fun of maiming Kaiba, now would I?”

Marik's hurt face formed a soundless smirk. Bakura's eyes flashed red once more, this time portraying cruelty and mirth.

“Besides...my wimpy Brightside can't even handle his own panties...”

“Is Ryou hearing this?” Marik inquired and Bakura had to lean forward in order to listen to the whispery voice.

“Are you kidding? He was still sleeping from that toxic until fifteen minutes ago...I've blocked him out ever since. That little wimp.”

Marik grinned, feeling the need to be happy. He knew he would soon have to face the challenge of Kaiba. This was just a little break, where everyone tried to forget their problems. Soon...the real chase would begin. Kaiba was after them, and the consequences of that simple statement were just starting to break-through.

The blonde stayed silent and blinked his eyes slowly. The world faded out momentarily with the image of Bakura's whine red eyes. He just blinked, but the moment he reopened his eyes, he saw mist fading away from around Bakura Ryou's form. A faint glow came from within the albino's torn green shirt and when the boy's eyes fluttered open, they were a confused dark brown...Ryou's sincere stare.

Marik turned around slowly, and his suspicions were verified. Yugi was petrified, his huge eyes stuck on Ryou's form and the fading mist around the boy. He had seen it too...Yugi could see Ryou's spirit, just like Ryou could see his own.

Ryou stared at Marik with a confused and simultaneously horrified stare.

“What just happened? What did I do? Marik! Was I the one who hurt you like this???!!” Ryou asked too many questions for Marik's numb mind to comprehend. He settled on answering the simplest one.

The blonde boy managed a smile.

“You mean just now? Oh nothing...you just spaced out on me.”

To Be Continued

A/n: I really liked the last phrase. I really like the whole `having secret relationships behind other peoples' back's thing, although Marik and Bakura are not in a relationship...--;...anyway please RR